Horse Racing Betting Tips: Hobbs runner Definitely the one in the Champion Chase
EVERY year there is always a ‘race of the Festival’ and up until yesterday morning it was undoubtedly the Betway Champion Chase (3.30pm).
However, sadly reigning champion Altior was ruled out by Nicky Henderson after suffering a setback on Sunday and going lame.
He just couldn’t recover in time and it’s a real shame as it would have been fantastic to see him against two hugely exciting younger horses.
DEFI DU SEUIL is now the 11/10 favourite with Betfair and it’s hard to argue against that after the season he’s had.
A reappearance win in the Shloer Chase was followed by a gutsy success in the Betfair Tingle Creek, where he won the battle against the now retired Un De Sceaux.
He then faced the same rival in the Matchbook Clarence House Chase and it was the same result, although even more impressive thanks to an electric burst of speed in the home straight.
It’s been a faultless campaign and Philip Hobbs’ stable star has an excellent record at Cheltenham, winning on six of his eight visits to Prestbury Park, including the Triumph Hurdle and last year’s JLT Novices’ Chase (now the Marsh) Blessed with both speed and stamina, he has all the attributes you are looking for with a top class two mile chaser and he is the one they all have to beat.
The Champion Chase is one of the few races missing from Willie Mullins’ CV, but he looks to have a good chance of finally landing the prize with CHACUN POUR SOI.
The Rich Ricci-owned eight-year-old joined Mullins in 2016 but lots of niggles kept him off the track until he landed a beginners chase in fine style at Naas a year ago.
His main target was then the Grade One Ryanair Novice Chase at Punchestown, where he beat Defi Du Seuil and the previous month’s Arkle winner Duc Des Genievres.
It was a hugely impressive performance, although it was at the end of a long, hard season for Hobbs’ horse, so there was an excuse.
On his reappearance this term over Christmas at Leopardstown, this son of Policy Maker was beaten by A Plus Tard but like many of Mullins’ horses he improved for the run.
He beat stablemate Min at the Dublin Racing Festival, showing a lot of speed and it was a performance that marked him down as a potential Champion Chase winner.
Speed and class are no problem at all, but there is a nagging worry that this will be his first start at Cheltenham so we don’t know if he’ll handle the track.
Comfortably Defi Du Seuil’s biggest danger, he is no bigger than 6/4 and it promises to be an epic battle between the big two.
Paul Nicholls’ Dynamite Dollars ran a promising race behind Altior in the Betfair Exchange Chase on his first start for over a year after suffering a setback last season.
He had some very good novice chase form last year so if he has improved from Newbury he has every chance of finishing in the top three.
However, I marginally prefer Alan King’s SCEAU ROYAL who was third in this 12 months ago and has a good record at Cheltenham.
I’m sure connections would ideally want a sounder surface, but it was soft on this day last year so he can definitely handle it.
He hadn’t been in the best of form so far this season, although his second to Altior last time was a step in the right direction and we know he is up to this level.
With only seven runners he isn’t really an each-way proposition at 16/1 but you could back him for a top three finish, or without the big two.
Nicholls’ other entry Politologue was second last year and he will enjoy the soft ground. Bar the big two, there isn’t a huge amount between the rest of them.
BILL ESDAILE’S CHAMPION CHASE 1-2-3
1 DEFI DU SEUIL
2 CHACUN POUR SOI
3 SCEAU ROYAL